Akande bows out as Lagos Chief Judge

June 11, 2012 : ADE ADESOMOJU

ADE ADESOMOJU reviews the tenure of Justice Inumidun Akande, who retired as the Chief Judge of Lagos State on June 10

Justice Inumidun Akande on June 10, 2012 attained the statutory retirement age of 65, as a result of which she bowed out of office as the Chief Judge of Lagos State. Section 291(2) of the 1999 Constitution pegs the retirement age of judicial officers at 65.

Born on June 10, 1947, Akande was the 13th Chief Judge of the state and the third female to occupy the exalted office.

Justice Ayotunde Philips, is another female judge, who has been ratified by the state House of Assembly to step into Akande’s shoes.

Philips, who was born on July 26, 1949, has about two years to steer the ship of Lagos State judiciary, arguably the oldest Nigeria’s judiciary whose existence dates back to the period of cession of Lagos to the British government. At its inception, what is now known as Lagos State Judiciary, was called the Colony Province Judiciary.

Called to the Nigerian Bar on June 16, 1971, Akande was appointed a judge of the Lagos State Judiciary in August 1989. She has to her credit about 3,500 judgments and rulings. Akande was appointed the Chief Judge of the state on September 8, 2009, during the first term of Governor Babatunde Fashola.

At a press conference and a ceremony, tagged ‘1004 days of monumental achievements’, organised to give account of her stewardship as the Chief Judge on Saturday, Akande expressed satisfaction over her achievement in office.

The occasion, earlier scheduled to hold on June 7, was postponed till Saturday in honour of those who died in the Dana plane crash in Iju-Ishaga area of the state on Sunday, June 3.

At the occasion which eventually held on Saturday, Akande urged her incoming successor and subsequent administrations to build on her achievements.

Clearly, the state judiciary, under her tenure, witnessed a significant turnaround, especially in the areas of infrastructure development, staff welfare and training, welfare of judges, attainment of self-accounting status by the judiciary and enhanced revenue status.

She made several visits to prisons in the state during which she released 99 inmates in her bid to decongest the prisons. Seven judges were also appointed during her tenure.

However, among her achievements, one stands tall and earned her a nickname – “Madam separation of power”.

Akande, since the inception of her administration radiated her passion to achieve an independent judiciary. The fight which she began in 2009, recorded a series of results among which is the self-accounting status now enjoyed by the judiciary.

It led to the amendment of the relevant provision of the High Court Law by the House of Assembly. This development paved the way for the Chief Judge, being the head of the judiciary, to make subsidiary legislations for the judiciary.

The committee set up to review the state’s High Court Civil of Lagos State (Civil Procedure) Rules, submitted a draft to the CJ in July 2011.

However, the draft of the Civil Procedure Rules could not be immediately presented to the public owing to the need to remove the clog hindering a legal backing to its implementation.

Spokesperson for the Senate Unity Forum, Senator Kabir Marafa, saying his colleagues passed a vote of confidence in Dr. Bukola Saraki’s senate leadership in order to spite President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress leadership.